funny you mention that, I was working on two songs this morning.
it really depends on what you want to do with it. if you want to make your own sine/square/triangle/etc wave samples from scratch, that'd be cool. a lot of chiptune artists make their own samples. I used to make them, but don't have the program to do that anymore. i'm not sure if you're looking for a newer program to make the songs (fruity loops/reason, etc), but I'm still using good ol' Impulse Tracker. There's a nice port for newer windows called Schism Tracker that I'd highly recommend. It's not as good as the original IT (yet) but it still gets the job done. I made that SuperBOVA Explosion song in IT:
get schism tracker and download some chiptune songs from the mod archive to see how they do it.
http://modarchive.org/ you can filter out the database to display chiptune songs.
also, IT is awesome for writing music, pre metal. Valfar from Windir wrote all of his songs (off of the first 3 albums I believe) on Fast Tracker, another module maker. Shit was huge in Scandinavia in the mid 90s. One of my favorite artists from Future Crew (designed fast tracker/scream tracker) went on to write music for videogames.
http://www.futurecrew.org/skaven/ I used to write music for a game with this guy who went by Mazedude. He was unbelievable at it. http://mazedude.com/music/ . Looks like he's still alive and kicking. If you want to learn the quick way, study their IT files
I really just want to make cool sounds and then use them in a musical context. Just DLed Schism Tracker. I'll check out some of the songs with it. Thanks.
I originally was going to go with LSDJ and use it in my old gameboy color (if I could find it) or my gameboy advanced that can still play GB games but ya it's impossible to find
I originally was going to go with LSDJ and use it in my old gameboy color (if I could find it) or my gameboy advanced that can still play GB games but ya it's impossible to find
Even more gangster: use Super-Gameboy for big-screen-fun-times-USA.
there used to be a site called "the zen of tracking" but I can't seem to find it. looks like it may be down. if you want, try searching for it.. it may turn up.
basically what you want to do is get samples/instruments first and foremost. you can do this by download packs, making your own, or just straight up ripping them from other songs.
F2 = patterns
F3= samples
F4 = instruments (better than straight samples IMO. most trackers use instruments now. some instruments are a combination of samples)
F5 = play
F8 = stop
basically all the F buttons have a feature.
you'll be spending most of your time in the pattern maker to write the music. just make sure you have instruments set up. i'd recommend going back to the modarchive site and download 10-15 songs to get a wide variety of instruments. you can also study the songs to see how the trackers did it. It seems overly complicated, but it's like riding a bike once you figure it out.
intense....how do you get those drumrolls to sound so realistic?
post by aril at Jan 11,2011 3:18pm
I have a sample of a drumroll and also one of the same snare being hit. So I combine them to make it sound real
post by ancient master at Jan 11,2011 4:56pm
I want to try and do more ambient martial sounds....where can I get good free samples? Ive looked around a bit, but I want to find like some ethnic instruments, and some really full deep sounding bass drum. I got a timpani sample which seems pretty cool sounding
post by aril at Jan 11,2011 5:03pm
Hmm when I get home tonight I could upload some.
The best thing to do is to order or by sample CDs. They still make them.
hey slag, looks like the NEBM Fb group is making a NEBM comp. ruh roh
post by Slag NLI at Jan 12,2011 12:45pm
That's cool. The more power to the scene. I'll be in communication to see what we can do to combine efforts.
post by aril at Jan 12,2011 2:46pm
Martins, I just did a simple chiptune song in Schism so you can see how it's done (to a basic level). took about 30-40 minutes. I kept the bassline the same throughout.. so it's basically just a jam on that.
CURIOUS ABOUT IMPULSE TRACKER
wow this is awesome dude. its a real fucking great composition. I used to use IT in highschool, but I never reached that level of complexity. I think I focus too much on rhythm, and not enough on melody
i dont know man, that shit you did is pretty cool too. i like it a lot.
thanks, though. i've been using IT for a loooong time so it's pretty much embedded in my brain. I just wish I could play guitar as good as I can track. never going to happen
I couldn't understand Impulse Tracker at ALL so I tried going the flstudio way. Kind of a cop out, I suppose, but it's fun fucking around with the Commodore 64 VST. I've written a few shitty tracks.
I know I know. I'm in it for the sounds not for the crazy retro aspect.
Old games are good not because they're old but because they're good.
Old music is good not because it's old but because it's good.
I made music with the sounds I wanted, now I'm happy.
How do they do the work for me? Takes a long time to get a sound you like and then you still have to write it out in the piano roll. Or at least, that's how I do it. The main thing it's useful for is writing things in chunks and then copypasta-ing those chunks if you want them on other sections. I haven't really used the sequencing portion of flstudio.
Yes but those kind of programs do the work for you, not the other way around. Limits creativity IMHO
This is a false statement. FL does not limit creativity. Example? - any electronic thing i've ever produced has been done in FL.
Now that I know how to use the program fully, I can make anything I desire. The only features it doesn't do as well as it should are recording and automation.
I think you guys are missing the point I was making. Granted, Impulse Tracker is much more primitive than FL because it's older. But that is what I mean - you have to program everything you do. You have complete control over everything you're doing, and this makes the learning curve high. That's why you had to switch to FL.. it takes a long time to fully understand the program, and how to program effects and everything into it. I dabbled in FL for a few years and couldn't stand it. I actually preferred Reason over FL, even though they aren't really the same. My biggest complaint with FL is that I felt it was too easy. I don't like having everything laid out in front of me. Tracking music is all numbers and programming and thus, feels more free. The primitive aspect of it makes it more genuine in my opinion, but I haven't touched FL in about 3-4 years so I'm not sure what the newest version is like. It's over-simplified with a short learning curve.
Descending numbers and letters > Piano Roll, ANYDAY!
post by ark at Feb 8,2011 1:24pm
Different tools for different jobs assholes. I don't have the patience for tracking, good thing I have a drumset.
post by ark at Feb 8,2011 1:29pm
8 bit tracking program for 8 bit tracks, FL studio for good tracks, PROBLEM SALVED.
I think you guys are missing the point I was making. Granted, Impulse Tracker is much more primitive than FL because it's older. But that is what I mean - you have to program everything you do. You have complete control over everything you're doing, and this makes the learning curve high. That's why you had to switch to FL.. it takes a long time to fully understand the program, and how to program effects and everything into it. I dabbled in FL for a few years and couldn't stand it. I actually preferred Reason over FL, even though they aren't really the same. My biggest complaint with FL is that I felt it was too easy. I don't like having everything laid out in front of me. Tracking music is all numbers and programming and thus, feels more free. The primitive aspect of it makes it more genuine in my opinion, but I haven't touched FL in about 3-4 years so I'm not sure what the newest version is like. It's over-simplified with a short learning curve.
Descending numbers and letters > Piano Roll, ANYDAY!
I guess the big point is, though, FL stuff sounds way more "modern" and "real." It's hard to get an IT song to sound professional, but it really depends on the samples. It is a GREAT tool for making loops for FL and Reason, though.
There's no sense in arguing what's "better," though, because they are indeed different. BUT RESPECT YOUR ROOTS KHEDS
post by ancient master at Feb 8,2011 1:44pm
Renoise is the shit
post by ancient master at Feb 8,2011 1:58pm
I used to use IT in highschool, but what I like about renoise is you can do all the same stuff as IT but I like the sample and loop editing shit you can do on top of it, as well as the added effects
My other two tracks I made before that one were slower and more geared towards just cool sounds. I've been sticking to simple melodies and chords right now. I had some ideas for new stuff but I've been so busy with classes that I haven't had any time. Thanks for listening though.
not that anyone cares, but just uploaded a short and simple industrial type song made with impulse tracker. took about 2 hours to make. sound quality is awful on youtube...
thanks.. yea I got sick of if and just ended it. Didn't feel like working on it anymore. It was more or less just an experiment because I haven't made a song of that style in years
One of the classics in ever italo-party! Digital Emotion is one of the many productions of Cat Music, a Dutch production team consisting of the members of a former 70s rock band, called Catapult. After prior success with Catapult, the team changed strategy and started producing. Acts are Rubberen Robbie, Tower, The Monotones, Master Genius, X-Ray Connection and... Digital Emotion. All hits of Digital Emotion are written and produced by Adams & Fleisner.
